FAIL

Yesterday I came out firing like an American soldier in a Pakistani mansion. Now, here I am eating a public slice of humble pie. I’m not sure where that expression comes from because pie tastes good and this doesn’t.

Anyhow, here it goes. Despite my apology yesterday I still thought that I was somewhat right. I have now established beyond a doubt that I was wrong. Very wrong. My government will be happy about this – she reckons that she doesn’t hear me say it often.

In my defence the SWA briefing was somewhat unclear, nay absent, on the point – I have their DVD at hand to prove it. I suspect that they may have gone over to the Dark Side after the whole Glen Breton saga. But I won’t lie, it’s a paltry defence. I’ll take my stripes.

This to conclude the Regional GI storm in a teacup:

Dear Patrick

Campbell has passed on your enquiry about regional geographical indications to me.

Speyside Scotch Whiskies are a sub-set of Highland Scotch Whiskies. That has been the traditional practice since at least 1909, and the definitions of the regions in The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 have not changed that.

A Scotch Whisky qualifies as “Highland” if it is distilled north of “the line dividing the Highland region from the Lowland region”. All Speyside Scotch Whiskies therefore qualify both as “Highland” and as “Speyside”. It is a matter for the distiller which description is used.